Black Public Media

Black Public Media (BPM) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the work of nonfiction multimedia storytellers who are part of the African Diaspora. It provides significant grants to documentary film projects for public media and operates the 360 Incubator program for emerging filmmakers that provides professional development support and a platform to pitch their projects to industry leaders. Other programs include the Black Story Summits, events that connect Black storytellers exploring social issues with local stakeholders; and BPMplus, a professional development program for makers working in emerging media. This grant supports general operations. The intended outcome is a stronger set of multifaceted support for Black media creators working in documentary and immersive media to tell stories about critical social issues and generate greater public understanding.

Black Public Media (BPM) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the work of nonfiction multimedia storytellers who are part of the African Diaspora. Founded in 1979 as the National Black Programming Consortium, Black Public Media has created pathways for Black creators to produce documentary films seen widely on public television. More recently, it has supported Black creators to work in emergent media forms, including web series, virtual, and augmented reality, through professional development and pitch programs and training opportunities. BPM continues to present documentaries on public television via the anthology series AfroPoP, and brings its network-building and convening power around the United States to cities with less film industry concentration. This award for general operating support enables BPM to equip and support Black nonfiction multimedia storytellers to hone their craft, realize their visions, and reach wide audiences with accurate and empowered narratives that demonstrate the complexity of Black experience in the United States and globally.

Black Public Media (BPM) is a national nonprofit organization that funds documentary films exclusively by filmmakers from the African Diaspora through an open call and helps place these films on public television. In addition, BPM supports the next generation of black American digital storytellers through its 360 Incubator + Fund, which provides training, mentorship, and funding to a cohort of filmmakers at work on new digital and broadcast series. This award supports travel and accommodation expenses for one BPM staff member to attend the 2018 International Documentary Association Getting Real conference September 25-27 in Los Angeles, and to attend a daylong convening of MacArthur Foundation Nonfiction Multimedia Storytelling grantees on September 24. This will result a more representative group of attendees at both events.

The National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) is the only national nonprofit organization that funds documentary films exclusively by filmmakers from the African Diaspora through an open call, and helps place these films on public television. NBPC also curates and presents the public media documentary showcase AfroPop. In addition, NBPC supports the next generation of black American digital storytellers through its 360 Incubator + Fund, which provides training, mentorship, and funding to a cohort of filmmakers at work on new digital and broadcast series. MacArthur support allows NBPC to support nonfiction work created for new media platforms, and strengthen its network of media makers, technologists, and social justice organizations to help inform this work and ensure it is impactful, ultimately resulting in more diverse narratives reaching and informing the American public.